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He added: "Unreal how Corbyn supporters are actually *defending* him calling the PM a "stupid woman". Sickening. This misogyny now runs deep in Corbyn's Labour - and runs right to the top."

Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has talked publicly about misogynist abuse she has faced on social media, wrote on Twitter: "This is not ok.

"PMQs is a hotbed of emotions but I hope that Jeremy will accept this kind of behaviour isn't his normal good nature or what we expect of progressive men #21stcenturycalling"

Tory former minister Sir Patrick McLoughlin used a point of order during PMQs to accuse Mr Corbyn of having "muttered" that Theresa May was a "stupid woman".

Cries of "shame" and "disgraceful" were heard from the Tory benches at this point.

Sir Patrick added: "Would it not be appropriate for him to come back into this chamber and apologise?"

Speaker John Bercow, who initially delayed taking the point of order, said: "As he rightly surmised at the start of it, I saw no such thing, I'm not making an allegation and I'm not denying or seeking to refute that of (Sir Patrick).

"I cannot be expected to pronounce upon that which I did not see and which was not witnessed by my advisers, and which I did not hear and which was not witnessed by my advisers."

He added if an MP failed to follow the conventions of the House then they have a responsibility to apologise.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons (Image: PA)

Speaker under fire

His comment led Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom to make her own point of order, standing up to ask Mr Bercow: "If individuals who are found to have made unwelcome remarks should apologise, why it is that when an opposition member found that you had called me a 'stupid woman', you did not apologise in this chamber?"

After repeated jeers and banging from Tory MPs, Mr Bercow said: "No no I'll deal with the point.

"I dealt with that point months ago in remarks that I made to the House of Commons to which Ms Leadsom in our various meetings since has made no reference and which requires from the chair today no elaboration whatsoever."

The Speaker added that "the matter has been treated of and I am leaving it there".

Mr Bercow, who was being shouted at and heckled by Tory MPs, responded saying: "I cannot be expected to deprecate the behaviour of an individual which I did not witness."

She said: "Could you confirm that it is not acceptable parliamentary language to call a woman a stupid woman in this House, and as regards the point of order from the leader of the House, may I add the words me too."

Mr Bercow responded: "The answer is I've already made the response to that point perfectly clear."

What did Corbyn's spokesman say?

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London (Image: PA)

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: "He did not call her a stupid woman and so I don't think there's any basis for an apology.

"As I understand it, he said 'stupid people'."

The spokesman said Mr Corbyn was referring generally to MPs who were not taking the issues being debated seriously.

Mr Corbyn's spokesman said he had confirmed the word spoken with the Labour leader personally.

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The spokesman added: "Of course he has respect for all MPs.

"But I think what we are dealing with is a situation... where the Prime Minister has behaved in a reckless and cynical manner by pushing the vote back on her deal, which she knows cannot pass Parliament, in an attempt to try to force MPs to back her deal.

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"The attempt to drive up the risk of a no deal or to give that impression is designed to create a false choice between no deal and her deal.

"As he said in the chamber, no deal is not an option and the Government will not allow that to happen. She knows that perfectly well, which is why it's cynical.

"It's an attempt to dragoon MPs into supporting her bad deal and try and avoid MPs having the possibility of considering alternatives."